


Whump-Tober 2018

by deathishauntedbyhumans



Series: You'd think writing 100 words is easy, but... [10]
Category: Milo Murphy's Law
Genre: Aliens, Anger, Angst, Arguing, Blood, Broken Bones, Bruises, Character Death, Character Study, Complete, Concussions, Crying, Dakota thinks he’s a comedian but he’s really really not, Death, Depression, Desperation, Disease, Dreams and Nightmares, Drowning, Drugs, Electrocution, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Exhaustion, Fluff, Graphic Description, Gun Violence, Head Injury, Hostage Situations, Hurt/Comfort, Hypothermia, Illnesses, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Insomnia, Internal Monologue, Kidnapping, M/M, Manipulation, Mild Hallucination, Murder, Non-Consensual Drug Use, POV Multiple, Poison, Rescue Missions, Self-Hatred, Self-Sacrifice, Spoilers for S2E1: The Phineas and Ferb Effect, Spoilers for Season 2, Stabbing, Stranded, Torture, Vomiting, Wordcount: 1.000-5.000, accidental murder, man shoving the fluff tag on here feels Funky, multiple dakotas, self-deprication, tied-up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-01
Updated: 2018-12-18
Packaged: 2019-07-23 13:01:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 31
Words: 4,200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16159484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deathishauntedbyhumans/pseuds/deathishauntedbyhumans
Summary: Individual trigger warnings will be posted on each chapter!!!! Please read at your own discretion!!!!!A series of mostly un-connected 100(ish)word drabbles for the Whumpfest 2018 prompt list.





	1. Day 1-Stabbed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **TRIGGER WARNING:** Cav!Death, Blood, Stabbing, Knives.

“I hate this,” Dakota grumbles. Beside him, Cavendish lies motionless on the ground, a fifteenth-century dagger protruding from his chest.

Dakota sighs. 

“Seriously, man. It’s like you don’t  _ wanna  _ stay alive,” he complains. Cavendish is, of course, silent. Dakota shakes his head. “You  _ could _ gimme a little help, here.” He pokes at the matching blade stuck in his own side, fingers coming away bloody.

“But it’s always gotta be me,” Dakota gripes. “You just lie there, buddy. That’s fine.” A groan escapes him as he pushes himself up, but he manages to stand without another sound. “I’ll… I’ll be back.”


	2. Day 2-Bloody Hands

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **TRIGGER WARNING:** blood, implied death (Cavendish), nightmares

The day they met, the dreams began.

Chest on fire, lungs burning, hands bathed in the blood of his best friend, the man whom he wished so desperately to love. He can’t look away from the horrific sight of his partner’s shredded corpse. 

They used to scare him. Back then, the nightmares were a hollow fear, torn from a part of himself he didn’t want to acknowledge.

But then, the dreams became reality. In the harsh light of day, when the blood on his hands is real… He does what he has to do.

The dreams don’t scare him anymore. 


	3. Day 3-Insomnia

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **TRIGGER WARNINGS:** insomnia, implied depression.

“I don’t need sleep,” Dakota says with an easy laugh, prompting Milo to cluck at him like a tiny mother hen.

“I don’t need sleep,” Dakota says casually to Savannah when she checks up on him. Savannah only furrows her brow and purses her lip. 

“I don’t need sleep,” Dakota says to Cavendish when he offers him a turn on the mattress they’ve scavenged for their apartment-turned-office. No amount of coaxing or cursing changes Dakota’s mind and eventually, Cavendish stops asking. 

“I don’t need sleep,” Dakota whispers to himself at night, head in hands. Someday, it might be the truth. 


	4. Day 4-“No, stop!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Trigger warnings:** argument, anger, fighting, yelling.

“Let go of me,” Dakota snarls, tugging his arm from Cavendish’s grasp. Cavendish reaches for him again, just barely snagging the sleeve of his jacket. “I wanna be  _ alone.” _

“Dakota! Please! What has gotten into you?” With a good yank, Dakota is facing Cavendish again. He glares, his breathing heavy, face splotching in the ugly way faces do before someone cries. 

“You wouldn’t understand,” Dakota snaps. He pulls away again and steps back, stumbling before successfully turning his back. 

“No, stop! Wait!” But Cavendish’s words fall on deaf ears as Dakota slams the door behind him on his way out.


	5. Day 5-Poisoned

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Trigger Warnings:** poison, Cav!death, self-sacrifice, vomiting.
> 
> Today features...... a double drabble!!! I had an idea for a two-parter and lo and behold, it actually worked out!

That Pain lances through Cavendish’s entire body as he falls to the ground; Dakota lunges too late to catch him.

“Fuck. I knew we should’ve left. That guy kept looking at us like he was waiting for something.”

“Dakota,” Cavendish manages to say, and then he jerks to the side, insides burning as he vomits into the gutter.

“Fuck, Cav. It’s okay. I gotcha.” Cavendish feels Dakota’s hands at his back, but the sensation is dull. His vision is fading even as he gets control of his stomach, and he shifts to look up at Dakota just before his entire body goes numb.

* * *

 

“Nah, hang on, Cav. Yours looks better than mine.” Dakota grins easily at Cavendish, and Cavendish tries to look floored, even as he allows Dakota to exchange their plates.

Dakota finishes his meal at an alarming rate and immediately excuses himself. He stumbles into a table, holding his stomach when he shoves at the door to the bathroom.

When he comes back, Cavendish cocks his head and squints. “Did you… change clothes?”

“I, uh— Oh look! It’s that guy, from that movie!”

“What!? Where?!

* * *

 

It isn’t until later that Cavendish realises Dakota never actually answered his question.


	6. Day 6-Betrayed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Trigger Warnings:** self-hatred, self-deprication, angsty internal monologue.
> 
> Spoilers for S2E1: The Phineas and Ferb Effect.

It makes Dakota  _ sick.  _

He’d spent so much time keeping Cavendish in the dark, keeping the Island under wraps, and then… He knows.

But Cavendish isn’t angry. 

Dakota isn’t sure if that makes it better or worse. 

On the one hand, Cavendish… isn’t angry. He  _ cries.  _ He keeps one arm around Dakota the entire way back to the mainland. 

But on the other hand… Dakota feels a strange sense of  _ betrayal.  _ If what he’s doing is  _ right,  _ why does he always feel so  _ guilty _ about it?

Why does it feel like Cavendish should hate him? 

_ Why doesn’t Cavendish hate him?  _


	7. Day 7-Kidnapped

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Trigger Warnings:** kidnapping, desperation. 
> 
> Spoilers for Season 2.

It’s been seventy-two hours since Cavendish disappeared. 

Dakota is frantic with worry. Cavendish’s phone started sending him to voicemail around hour eight.

The time vehicle they were permitted to keep is running out of time juice; Dakota doesn’t want to waste a trip if he doesn’t know  _ when  _ to go back to prevent this.

Dakota hasn’t slept in three days. Nothing has helped. Cavendish is still missing.

The screen behind him crackles to life, and Dakota turns towards it wildly. The face of their new boss smiles mildly back at him. 

“Looking for someone?” he asks, and Dakota’s stomach  _ sinks. _


	8. Day 8-Fever

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Trigger Warnings** : implied head injury, implied illness.

Dakota wakes up to find himself swamped in an oppressive, sweltering heat. He sits up slowly, blinking sweat and sleep from his eyes. 

When he tries to stand, the entire world tilts on its axis. 

His stumbling is apparently enough to jar his partner from sleep across the room, and Cavendish jerks awake at his own desk. When he focuses on Dakota, he frowns.

“Dakota? Are you alright?” 

Dakota wants to respond, but the world tilts again, and he’s falling, falling—

Pain lances sharply through his head. The world flickers for a moment, and then everything goes black and silent.


	9. Day 9-Stranded

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Trigger Warnings** : self-deprication
> 
>  
> 
> I’ve been at Disneyland all day, and my brain is dead. This is (very likely) a pile of hot garbage. Happy whumptober.

“We’re stuck,” Cavendish states blankly. Dakota’s face pokes out from beneath the time vehicle, expression bleak.

“We’re stuck,” he affirms, and Cavendish makes a distressed sound, sliding to the ground against the car. 

“Can’t they send anybody out to help us?”

Dakota huffs humorlessly. “Only people around are Brick and Savannah. You know  _ they’re _ not gonna help.”

Cavendish drops his head against his knees; Dakota wriggles out a hand to pat him awkwardly. “S’okay,” he adds, obviously trying to sound reassuring. “Block’ll realise we’re missing and… help us.”

“Will he?” Cavendish challenges without looking up. 

Dakota doesn’t have an answer. 


	10. Chapter 10-Bruises

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AO3 _refused_ to let me post this yesterday, even though I had it written. 
> 
> **Trigger Warnings:** bruises, implied abuse, implied injury

“Dakota, what is  _ that _ !?” 

Dakota hastily tugs his sleeve down, covering the dark, purple mark on his wrist. “‘S’nothin’, Cav. Don’t worry about it.”

Cavendish frowns. “It didn’t look like nothing.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Dakota repeats. Cavendish doesn’t look convinced. “Aw, c’mon, Cavendish. You know I’m a klutz. I probably just banged against somethin’, or somethin’.” 

Cavendish reaches for Dakota’s sleeve. “Well, at leash let me look at it—“ he begins, but Dakota flinches, shrinking away.

They both stare at each other for a moment, sudden silence heavy between them. 

Setting his jaw, Dakota walks away without another word.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this chapter with the “Brick and Dakota hook up sometimes and Brick is Very Rough and borderline abusive” headcanon in mind, but any interpretation is a good interpretation.


	11. Day 11-Hypothermia

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Trigger Warnings:** torture, hypothermia, mild hallucination.
> 
> I’m _in_ Disneyland right now and I am. so tired. But!! I managed a triple drabble because... I guess I like writing out torture scenes? We’re not going to talk about what that says about me as a person. 
> 
> This can be seen as a continuition of Day 7’s story (Kidnapped) or as a one-off.

“Are we having a fun time?” 

The disembodied voice ringing through the chamber startles Cavendish, but it isn’t enough to coax him to lift his head in his near-catatonic state.

“Oh, come now. Don’t tell me you’ve finally learned how to hold your tongue.”

He’s lost track of time, here. He’s certain it’s been more than a day. The first stage of this torture had been silence, darkness. And then, this  _ light _ , this  _ chill.  _

“Perhaps you’ve decided to cooperate?”

Cavendish can’t speak. He can barely  _ breathe _ . His body went numb hours ago. He’s still thinking, for now, but the thoughts come slowly, like they’re wading through quicksand in his head.

“All you have to do is tell me what you know about the child.” 

The voice is soft. It lulls Cavendish further into relaxation. He can almost feel himself getting warmer as his limbs grow even heavier. Ha! This torture has no effect on him after all! 

“No,” Cavendish says. Or at least, he thinks he says. He doesn’t hear his voice echo back to him, but the intention is clear in his mind.

He must be successful, because the voice tuts from the speakers above him. “It’s so simple. You could end all your suffering, right here. Now, you’re going to die.” There’s a pause. “Oh well,” the voice adds, and then a nearly inaudible  _ click  _ signifies the end of the interaction.

The cold actually feels like it’s easing up. Cavendish laughs, loud and long. (It still doesn’t echo back to him, but now, he ignores it.) He knows that everything is going to be alright, now. He can  _ feel  _ it. He’s not going to die. He’s going to  _ live.  _

But first, he’s going to take a nap. He’s been through a lot, and the ground is… getting softer… 

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you know scart had to do it to ‘em


	12. Day 12-Electrocution

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Trigger Warnings:** Death(Cav!death), electrocution, accidental murder. 
> 
> Double Drabble!!
> 
> I wrote this at 8 in the goddamn morning on a plane.

The water is slowly rising, growing closer to the exposed ceiling wiring with every passing minute. Cavendish paces back and forth on the platform they’re stuck on.

“There’s nothing we can do,” he despairs. “You can’t swim. Even if I get the panel open down there, you can’t follow me.”

Dakota bites his tongue. He learned to swim in order to go back and save Cavendish once, but he’s not exactly sure how to _tell_ him that.

“I’ll figure it out,” Dakota says. “You go. Get the panel open.”

“I’m not leaving you,” Cavendish says stubbornly. Dakota rolls his eyes, glances up at the wiring above them, and then shakes his head.

“You don’t have a choice.” Dakota shoves Cavendish off the platform without warning.

Cavendish emerges a moment later, spluttering, but takes one look at Dakota’s grim features and takes off, propelling himself downwards.

It’s less than a minute later that Dakota spies an overlooked piece of wiring in the wall, and it’s much too late to do anything as the water rises around it. The water crackles to life, a sickening _zap_ fills the air, and Dakota feels guilt crawl up his throat like a thick, angry spider.

 


	13. Day 13-“Stay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Trigger Warnings** : argument, fighting, anger
> 
> It’s still _technically_ the 13th (for another 6 minutes).

“I can’t do this anymore,” Dakota announces. When Cavendish looks up, Dakota is standing next to the door, suitcase in hand.

“What?” Cavendish asks, bewildered.

Dakota drops the case. Stalks across the room. “You. Pretendin’ you don’t know. Pretendin’ everything’s normal when _nothin_ ’ _s_ normal.” There’s a fistful of Cavendish’s shirt in Dakota’s hand. “I hate pretendin’.” Dakota desperately shoves his lips against Cavendish’s.

“I’m leaving,” Dakota announces, He lets go of Cavendish. Crosses the room. Picks up his suitcase.

“Stay.” Cavendish’s voice is faint. Dakota ignores him. Opens the door. Walks away.

“Stay,” Cavendish whispers to an empty room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dakota thinks Cavendish knows how he feels about him. Cavendish doesn’t know. I wrote this sitting at Great America’s Halloween Haunt at 11:50 at night.


	14. Day 14-Torture

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Trigger Warning:** torture, vague torture methods, descriptions of pain/violence. 
> 
> This follows the general storyline from chapters 7 and 11, but can also be read as standalone.

“Where is he?” It’s more a demand than a question. Dakota is  _ not  _ expecting the sickening peal of laughter that follows. 

“Sir—“ he begins, but that laughter —cold, callous— interrupts him. 

“You still don’t get it. Oh, it’s so rich. I thought Cavendish was the brainless one, but it turns out  _ neither  _ of you are capable of intelligent thought.”

Dakota struggles against the ties binding him. “Where. Is. Cavendish.” 

“Don’t worry. You’ll be joining him soon.”

Pain, lightning quick and sharp, lances up Dakota’s spine. A scream echos through the room, cut only by the continued laughter of his assailant. 


	15. Day 15-Manhandling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Trigger Warning** : manipulation.

_From the desk of Bob Block_

Cavendish: very sensitive about his skills in the field. Give him a well-timed compliment and a pat on the back? He’s on your side faster than mold on a corndog in a heatwave.

Dakota: likes food. Give him that corndog and tell him the mold makes it “fancy”. You’ve got a man who won’t ever turn his back on you.

The plan: a little bit of sabotage. A nasty little rumor spread through the grapevine. A promotion for one and not the other.

A little bit goes a long way with those two morons.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you know scart had to do it to em


	16. Day 16-Bedridden

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Trigger Warning:** implied torture, pain, implied kidnapping.
> 
> Double drabble! 
> 
> Follows the storyline of days 7, 11, and 14.

“Dakota?” Cavendish’s voice is weak, but he’s _alive_ , and that’s all that matters. “What happened?”

“Do you remember anything?” Dakota asks quietly, leaning forward to put himself further in Cavendish’s line of sight.

Cavendish screws his face up. “I… remember light?” he supplies, and then shivers. “And cold. Where are we?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Dakota says. Cavendish only stares at him expectantly, obviously waiting for a better answer.

“...We’re on a ship,” Dakota explains, subdued, after a few moments of silence. “They wanted to keep us alive. You can’t leave this bed, and I can’t leave the room.”

“Why--?”

“You were in bad shape when they…” Dakota mimes the movement of a ship with his hand. “They saved your life, but I… don’t know _why._ ”

“Who are _they_?” Cavendish asks. Dakota looks away from him, and Cavendish reaches out, making an audible noise of pain when he tries to move.

Dakota turns back to him immediately, grabbing at his hand and holding it down carefully. “Don’t move,” he commands, and the note of desperation in his voice must hit a nerve, because Cavendish stops flailing. “We’ll be okay,” he says. He only wishes he could believe it would be true.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't honestly know what's going on anymore.


	17. Chapter 17-Drugged

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **TW:** non-consensual drug use/drugged character. 
> 
> I’m going to be completely honest here: I’m so fuckin tired and I barely put any actual effort into this drabble so if that’s reflected,,, oops, I guess.

It was supposed to be an easy job. Find the pistachios, carry them from one car to another. Easy.

Of course, things are never  _ easy _ when Cavendish is involved. Dakota doesn’t think that getting drugged is worth a time-trip to fix it, but it’s definitely annoying. 

“There are—“ Cavendish giggles, stumbling. “—pineapples! In the sky!” 

Dakota hooks an arm around his waist. It’s  _ definitely  _ annoying. 

“You’re doin’ fine, Cavendish,” Dakota states, instead of snapping the way he wants to. He tugs the other man against him, grunting when Cavendish falls into his side. “Let’s get you back to the car.”


	18. Day 18-Hostage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Trigger Warnings** : kidnapping, hostage situation.

“I know her,” Dakota hisses. Savannah stops dead, whipping around to peer at him suspiciously. 

“What?” 

“She’s one ‘a Murphy’s friends.”

Savannah pinches the bridge of her nose like she’s attempting to fend off a headache. “Are you going to help me, here, or not?” 

Dakota raises his arms in surrender. “Of course I am.”

At that moment, Melissa finally looks up, blinking curiously at her surroundings. 

“Hey, aliens!” she yells, and Savannah cringes. 

Dakota bites his hand to resist reacting. “A kid after my own heart. Let’s get her outta here before those weird blob things come back, eh?”


	19. Day 19-Exhaustion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wish I had an excuse for being a day late with this, but I don’t. 
> 
> Wish I had an excuse for this being Less Whumpy, but I don’t. _The next few chapters are probably going to be a little less Whump™ and a little more mindless/fluff because I’m an exhausted touch-starved fool who’s dying inside and these idiots are a great way for me to vent._
> 
>  **Trigger Warning** : Exhaustion (pretty much what it says on the tin)

“‘m sleepy,” Dakota whines, dropping his head down onto his desk.

“I know,” Cavendish says from across the room, sounding as exhausted as Dakota feels. “We’re almost finished.” 

“Are we?” Dakota asks, barely lifting his head off the desk to stare blearily at Cavendish. “Because it feels like you’ve been sayin’ that for hours.”

There’s a short bout of silence, and then Cavendish groans. “I hate to admit it, but you’re right. We’re getting nowhere. Perhaps we should take a break.”

Dakota sighs in relief, sliding ungracefully from his chair to the floor and stretching. 

“You’re ridiculous,” Cavendish huffs halfheartedly.


	20. Chapter 20-Concussion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a double drabble to make up for the fact that is is MAJOR HURT/COMFORT FLUFF
> 
>  **TW** : Referenced injury, concussion

Milo leans heavily against Dakota in the backseat of the time —regular— vehicle. 

“It’s not bad. Maybe a mild concussion, but that’s it” he says. Dakota shakes his head. 

“Sorry, kid. But we ain’t lettin’ you outta our sight ‘til we know you’re okay.”

“For once, Dakota is right,” Cavendish agrees, steadfastly ignoring the disgruntled “hey!” that follows. “You hit your head pretty hard back there, Murphy.“

“Guys,” Milo protests weakly. It’s obvious that he’s already accepted his fate, especially when he presses a little closer to Dakota and leans his head against his chest. 

Cavendish glances back at them in the mirror while stopped at a light and manages to catch Dakota’s eye. He smiles fondly, watching both of them there together, and Dakota smiles back. The moment feels precious, somehow, despite the fact that Milo is injured. 

The light turns green. “C’mon, Murphy. You can’t fall asleep,” Dakota chides, nudging him. Milo groans and sits up again, then gingerly touches his head. 

“I’ll be okay,” he reassures them. “Will you drop me off at my house?”

When they arrive, Cavendish scoops Milo into his arms and carries him inside despite vigorous protestations while Dakota laughs from the car. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _it was brought to my attention just this morning that people ship milo and dakota and i just want to clarify that,,, that is not me and highkey not my intention with anything that i write dakota is milo’s Wild Uncle and that is It. There’s no,,,, judgement here but uh please know the intentions of the writer thank~_


	21. Day 21-Harsh Climate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _I’m like a day behind lmao rip_
> 
> **Trigger Warning** : mentioned hypothermia, cold, freezing

“It’s cold,” Cavendish mumbles, curling further in on himself. Dakota shivers where he sits, back against the cave wall. 

“Yeah,” he agrees. He can see his breath. The flashlight propped at the other side of the cave doesn’t give them much heat. “Wish we could start a fire.”

Cavendish hums; when Dakota looks up, he accidentally meets his gaze. 

“What?”

Cavendish stares him down a moment longer. “I have an idea.” 

“Shoot.”

“Body heat.” 

Dakota wants to play stupid, crack a joke, but another shudder wracks his body. He nods shakily. Anything to ward hypothermia off sounds great to him. 


	22. Day 22-Friendly Fire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Still a day late hhhhaaahhhhh_
> 
> Sometimes I get tired of beating Cavendish up. 
> 
> **TRIGGER WARNING** : blood, injury, guns/shooting

“I’m going to bleed to death next to the two biggest idiots in the Bureau,” Savannah snaps, groaning as she presses the bloody cloth against the bullet wound in her shoulder. 

“This is your fault.” Brick glares at Dakota. Dakota throws his hands up in disbelief. 

“How is this my fault?” he asks incredulously. “ _ You  _ shot her!”

“If  _ you  _ hadn’t been distracting me—“ Brick starts to argue. Savannah interrupts him. 

“Would you two  _ shut the fuck up  _ and  _ help me _ ?” she demands with gritted teeth. 

Dakota and Brick share a glance before kneeling beside her to do as she asks. 


	23. Day 23-Self-Sacrifice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Triple drabble!!! _this prompt was Too Perfect for these idiots_
> 
>  **Trigger Warning** : self-sacrifice, self-deprecation, death mention.

“Cavendish is gonna die. I’m gonna stop it.” Part of Dakota expects his doppelgänger to argue, but he’s talking to _himself._ The easygoing expression on his face changes at once, growing clouded, serious.

“What am _I_ gonna do?” he asks simply.

Dakota swallows hard, and then hands over a pamphlet and a ticket. “You have to go here. There can’t be two of us.”

The second Dakota nods gravely and accepts the pamphlet. He looks like he’s about to ask a question, but hesitates, and then turns away without another word.

* * *

The island is beautiful. It’s probably more beautiful than Dakota deserves, he thinks wryly. He couldn’t stop Cavendish from getting killed. He doesn't deserve a beautiful place.

But Cavendish is safe, now. He’s alive, and the other Dakota will make sure he never ends up in harm’s way again.

Dakota stumbles over a pile of charred sticks and stops dead. This island is supposed to be _uninhabited_ . The fire pit he’s just found doesn’t look _uninhabited_.

“Who’s there?” an achingly familiar voice calls out. An older, greyer version of _himself_ steps out from behind a tree, squinting at him. The old man relaxes at the sight, even though Dakota feels like his own heart is going to burst.

“This isn’t the first time?” he asks, voice cracking. The old Dakota’s features soften.

“No. No, it isn’t,” he says, and Dakota feels his heart _break._

The bushes rustle. “You can come out, now,” Old Dakota calls, and a smattering of Dakota’s in various states of undress emerge from behind the trees.

“How often does this happen?” Dakota whispers. Old Dakota shares a look with one of the other younger, newer-looking Dakotas.

“All the time,” Newer Dakota says.

“It’s Cavendish,” another Dakota pipes up. He’s got a mohawk. “Whattdya gonna do?”


	24. Day 24-Drowning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hooooh boy am I behind. 
> 
> **Trigger Warning** : character death, death mention, drowning.

_ Peaceful.  _

Out there, the world was so scary. It was scary and  _ loud  _ and  _ bad  _ but in here—

In here it’s  _ peaceful _ . 

Cavendish isn’t sure why he’d been struggling. He can’t hear anything, can’t see anything. 

Nothing hurts anymore. 

_ Let the universe have what it wants.  _

It’s in these moments that his previous deaths always come back to him. It’s in these moments that he knows he’s too far gone in this timeline to make it back. 

_ Peaceful.  _

He accepts it. 

There is water filling his lungs, stopping his breath. He doesn’t struggle anymore. He allows it to happen.

_Peaceful_. 


	25. Day 25-Restraint

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _someday i’ll catch up........ someday......._
> 
> Blame this chapter on the Tatsumaki bot not on me. Follows the plot from chapters 7, 11, 14, and 16. Double drabble.
> 
>  **Trigger Warning** : restrained/bound characters, struggling, emotions/crying

“Dakota, what’s going on?” Cavendish’s panic wakes Dakota from his doze, and he jerks his head up, automatically reaching out. His hand stops halfway to Cavendish’s bedridden form, pulled back to the chair by an invisible chain.

“Cavendish?” he says hesitantly. Cavendish wiggles unsuccessfully, apparently bound by a similar restraint.

“I tried to stand up, and then… I couldn’t.”

Of _course._ Dakota drops his chin to his chest, blowing out a frustrated breath.

“Dakota?” Cavendish repeats, voice as small as Dakota’s ever heard it.

“I don’t know,” Dakota says. He can feel tears prickling in the corners of his eyes, and he can’t even pick up his hand to stop it. “I don’t know, _Ca_ vendish, okay? I told you not to move because _they_ said you shouldn’t. And now _neither_ of us can.”

There’s a shuffling sound, and Dakota glances up to see Cavendish struggling against the invisible bindings.

“Stop it!” he shouts, and it’s louder than he intends. Cavendish stops dead, stares at Dakota in shock.

“Are you… crying?”

Dakota looks down again.

“It will do you no good to struggle.” A strange voice, cool and feminine, sounds from behind Dakota. He stiffens. “You are safe… for now.”


	26. Day 26-Broken Ribs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A much lighter chapter, indeed. You can blame Tatsu for this one, too. 
> 
> **Trigger Warning** : implied/referenced injury and pain.

“Are you  _ sure  _ your friend Murphy wasn’t nearby?”

“Milo’s—  _ ah _ , outta town. This was a fluke. Not all bad stuff’s— Milo’s fault, y’know.” Zack groans as they hit a bump, pressing more firmly against the pain in his torso. 

“I dunno, kid, you and Murphy get up to some wild shenanigans,” Dakota states. “Huh. Shenanigans. She-nan-ih-gans. Cav, does that sound like a real word?”

“Focus on the road, Dakota!” Cavendish looks back at Zack. “It’s alright, dear boy. We’re nearly there. You’re rather lucky we saw you fall from that tree.”

They run over another bump. Zack winces. “Yeah. Lucky.”


	27. Chapter 27-“I can’t walk.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Trigger Warning:** tied-up characters, implied/referenced injury
> 
> Double drabble. Follows plot from chapters 7, 11, 14, 16, and 25. Tatsumaki loves her angst...

“Who are you?” Dakota asks roughly. He can’t turn around to see, but the lyrical voice laughs softly. 

“ _ You _ have seen me before, Vincent Dakota,” she says, and Dakota flinches. 

“You’re…” 

“You might call me an alien,” she finishes for him, stepping into his line of sight. Pink and tentacled, she smiles wide, teeth shining in the sterile light around them.

Cavendish huffs, and Dakota catches sight of him struggling weakly again. 

“Oh, right.  _ You _ .” She waves one tentacle, and Dakota can feel the pressure lift. Cavendish jumps up immediately and crumples to the ground with a cry, and Dakota drops from the chair directly to his knees. 

“Cavendish!”

“I— I can’t walk,” Cavendish murmurs to him, and Dakota takes his hand. 

“Of course you can’t,” the alien says matter-o-factly. “You can’t freeze your entire body and expect to be completely fine afterwards.”

“Freeze?” Dakota asks, head snapping up. She shrugs —or at least, Dakota  _ thinks  _ she shrugs.

“Your new boss is  _ dreadfully  _ sloppy. We’ve had an eye on him for quite some time. He’s one of ours, you know. A… rogue agent, if you will.” 

Dakota and Cavendish exchange a glance. “And?” Dakota says.

“ _ And  _ we saved your lives.”


	28. Day 28-Severe Illness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *shows up 200 years late with Starbucks*
> 
>  **Trigger Warning** : illness mention, vague disease

“You can’t stop it. Not this time,” Cavendish says, a sad smile on his face. 

“No. No, you can’t… You can’t say that. Not after everything—“

“Dakota.” Cavendish reaches for Dakota’s hands, takes them gently. “It’s okay. I’ve accepted it. You’ve got to, too.”

“No.” Dakota tries to pull his hands away, but Cavendish holds firm. The disease hasn’t spread far yet, but it’s only a matter of time _.  _ “I  _ won’t _ let you die on me. Not for real.”

Cavendish squeezes his hands and gives him a desperate look. “I just… want to enjoy the time we have left, together.”


	29. Day 29-Seizure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *shows up halfway through November with this bs*
> 
>  **Trigger Warning** : talk of seizures, sadness

“Have you ever had a seizure?” Cavendish asks out of the blue one day. They’re sitting in their apartment, leaning comfortably against one another while a movie plays. 

“Nah,” Dakota answers, shrugging.

“My sister gets seizures,” Cavendish blurts a few minutes later. Dakota feels him tense. “She was in my dream last night.” Without thinking, Dakota reaches over and takes his hand.

“I have no idea how she is now,” Cavendish adds, so quiet and forlorn that Dakota nearly misses it. 

“I’m sorry,” Dakota says softly. It’s not enough. 

Cavendish squeezes his hand. They go back to watching the movie. 


	30. Day 30-Caregiver

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ALMOST A MONTH LATE BUT WE OUT HERE!!! A little sickfic hurt/comfort for your troubles; double drabble.

“You don’t have to do this, you know.” Dakota’s voice is even more nasally than usual, and he coughs after speaking. Without missing a beat, Cavendish hands him a tissue. 

“I know,” he replies simply. 

Grumpily, Dakota accepts the tissue, blowing his nose with a  _ honk  _ so loud he’s shocked no geese come bursting in through the front door.

“You  _ could  _ be out on a mission.”

“And yet, here I am,” Cavendish replies dryly. He picks up the mug of tea on the coffee table. “I’m going to reheat this for you,” he adds, carefully nudging Dakota’s feet off his lap. Dakota lets him get up, groaning dramatically when Cavendish has fully exited. He can hear the sound of the microwave humming in the kitchen. 

When Cavendish comes back, Dakota is half-asleep. He feels rather than sees Cavendish toss a blanket over him; his eyes are too heavy to get back open. It’s warm, in his dozey, dopey world. He feels Cavendish move his feet and retake his seat at the other end of the couch, hears the soft  _ clink  _ of the mug against the table. Cavendish’s fingers play soothingly against his shin above the blanket, and Dakota…

...falls asleep. 


	31. Day 31: Showdown

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow we rlly out here posting the last one huh. 
> 
> I want y’all to know that this one took no editing. It was exactly 100 words when I finished and I think that means something but I’m afraid of what. 
> 
> **Trigger Warnings** : implied character death, murder, internal struggle. Implied spoilers for season 2. 
> 
> Dakota’s POV, second person.

You never thought it would come to this, did you? Every time you looked at Cavendish, you envisioned your future. Your future _together._

You never thought it would end like this.

The gun is heavy in your hand, alien metal warm against your skin. You catch a glimpse of your own reflection before you force your gaze away.

You’ve seen him die hundreds of times. Why is killing him any different?

 _He’s out of control_ , the voice in your head that sounds like your new boss says. _End it, once and for all._

You raise the gun, and you fire.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Kudos/comments are love. 
> 
> Come scream at me on tumblr @deathishauntedbyhumans


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